The Governess Game

People who bought this also bought...

The Duchess Deal

Girl Meets Duke

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Mary Jane Wells

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,925

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,760

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,756

Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury's to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne'er-do-wells by night. Now there's a new item on the list. He needs an heir - which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she'll do.

5 out of 5 stars

100% perfect

By
Eugenie
on
09-29-17

The Wallflower Wager

Girl Meets Duke

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Mary Jane Wells

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
827

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
761

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
757

Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society - and now he wants to get even. Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart. When her imposing - and attractive - new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.

5 out of 5 stars

Best one yet!

By
Kait from MS
on
08-15-19

Romancing the Duke

Castles Ever After

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carmen Rose

Length: 9 hrs

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,152

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,050

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,053

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities. And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one....Now Izzy's given up yearning for romance. She'll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished 26-year-old woman who's never even been kissed?

5 out of 5 stars

I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS REGENCY ROMP

By
CAROLYN 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
on
01-30-14

Say Yes to the Marquess

Castles Ever After

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carmen Rose

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
520

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
476

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
479

After eight years of waiting for Piers Brandon, the wandering Marquess of Granville, to set a wedding date, Clio Whitmore has had enough. She's inherited a castle, scraped together some pride, and made plans to break her engagement. Not if Rafe Brandon can help it. A ruthless prizefighter and notorious rake, Rafe is determined that Clio will marry his brother - even if he has to plan the dratted wedding himself.

2 out of 5 stars

My first Tessa Dare miss. I'm so sad.

By
Heather K (Dentist in my Spare Time)
on
12-01-16

When a Scot Ties the Knot

Castles Ever After

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carmen Rose

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
792

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
725

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
724

On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty, and talented with a drawing pencil but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: She invented a sweetheart.

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!!

By
J. Byerly
on
06-28-16

A Night to Surrender

Spindle Cove, Book 1

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carolyn Morris

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
380

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
357

Story

4 out of 5 stars
357

Welcome to Spindle Cove, where the ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are..nowhere to be found. Or are they? Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: The painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there. Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn't belong here.

4 out of 5 stars

A Fun and Exciting Listen!

By
Zeee @ I Heart Romance
on
05-08-14

The Duchess Deal

Girl Meets Duke

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Mary Jane Wells

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,925

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,760

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,756

Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury's to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne'er-do-wells by night. Now there's a new item on the list. He needs an heir - which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she'll do.

5 out of 5 stars

100% perfect

By
Eugenie
on
09-29-17

The Wallflower Wager

Girl Meets Duke

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Mary Jane Wells

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
827

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
761

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
757

Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society - and now he wants to get even. Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart. When her imposing - and attractive - new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.

5 out of 5 stars

Best one yet!

By
Kait from MS
on
08-15-19

Romancing the Duke

Castles Ever After

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carmen Rose

Length: 9 hrs

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,152

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,050

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,053

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities. And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one....Now Izzy's given up yearning for romance. She'll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished 26-year-old woman who's never even been kissed?

5 out of 5 stars

I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS REGENCY ROMP

By
CAROLYN 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
on
01-30-14

Say Yes to the Marquess

Castles Ever After

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carmen Rose

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
520

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
476

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
479

After eight years of waiting for Piers Brandon, the wandering Marquess of Granville, to set a wedding date, Clio Whitmore has had enough. She's inherited a castle, scraped together some pride, and made plans to break her engagement. Not if Rafe Brandon can help it. A ruthless prizefighter and notorious rake, Rafe is determined that Clio will marry his brother - even if he has to plan the dratted wedding himself.

2 out of 5 stars

My first Tessa Dare miss. I'm so sad.

By
Heather K (Dentist in my Spare Time)
on
12-01-16

When a Scot Ties the Knot

Castles Ever After

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carmen Rose

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
792

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
725

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
724

On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty, and talented with a drawing pencil but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: She invented a sweetheart.

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!!

By
J. Byerly
on
06-28-16

A Night to Surrender

Spindle Cove, Book 1

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carolyn Morris

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
380

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
357

Story

4 out of 5 stars
357

Welcome to Spindle Cove, where the ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are..nowhere to be found. Or are they? Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: The painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there. Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn't belong here.

4 out of 5 stars

A Fun and Exciting Listen!

By
Zeee @ I Heart Romance
on
05-08-14

Any Duchess Will Do

Spindle Cove, Book 4

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Eva Kaminsky

Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
479

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
446

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
448

Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season - or any season - but his diabolical mother abducts him to "Spinster Cove" and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl. Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn't dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop.

5 out of 5 stars

Tessa Dare Writes a Dang Good Story!

By
AmazonCustomer
on
05-24-14

A Week to Be Wicked

Spindle Cove, Book 2

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carolyn Morris

Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
423

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
399

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
400

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be...anywhere but Spindle Cove. These unlikely partners have one week: to fake an elopement to convince family and friends they're in love to outrun armed robbers to survive their worst nightmares to travel four hundred miles without killing each other. All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

5 out of 5 stars

Humorous, Romantic, Delightful

By
Jonna
on
04-25-14

Do You Want to Start a Scandal

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carmen Rose

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
349

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
322

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
320

On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library. Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan? Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall? Perhaps the butler did it. All Charlotte Highwood knows is this: It wasn't her. But rumors to the contrary are buzzing. Unless she can discover the lovers' true identity, she'll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville - the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she's ever had the misfortune to embrace.

2 out of 5 stars

Great story, awful awful narration

By
Amazon Customer
on
10-07-16

A Lady by Midnight

Spindle Cove, Book 3

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Carolyn Morris

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
303

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
277

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
280

After years of fending for herself, Kate Taylor found friendship and acceptance in Spindle Cove - but she never stopped yearning for love. The very last place she'd look for it is in the arms of Corporal Thorne. The militia commander is as stone cold as he is brutally handsome. But when mysterious strangers come searching for Kate, Thorne steps forward as her fiancé. He claims to have only Kate's safety in mind. So why is there smoldering passion in his kiss?

4 out of 5 stars

LOVED!

By
Felicia The Geeky Blogger
on
10-06-14

Once Upon a Winter's Eve

A Spindle Cove Novella, Book 1.5

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Mary Jane Wells

Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
22

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
18

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
17

Some wallflowers bloom at night...Violet is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. The gentlemen aren’t beating down her door. Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet’s feet. He’s wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Only Violet understands him. And she knows he’s not what he seems. She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy?

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful addition to Spindle Cove series

By
Amazon Customer
on
04-11-20

Chasing Cassandra

The Ravenels

By:
Lisa Kleypas

Narrated by:
Mary Jane Wells

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
662

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
598

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
593

Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything - or anyone - is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife - and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he’s determined to have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love - the one thing he can’t give.

4 out of 5 stars

Good but...

By
Arnold A Brown
on
02-20-20

Goddess of the Hunt

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Helen Moore-Gillon

Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins

Unabridged

Overall

3.5 out of 5 stars
162

Performance

3 out of 5 stars
155

Story

4 out of 5 stars
154

Ever the bold adventuress, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother's best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion that could send all her plans up in smoke.

2 out of 5 stars

Ruined by poor narration

By
Kimberly
on
06-22-13

Lord Dashwood Missed Out

A Spindle Cove Novella

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Eva Kaminsky

Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
172

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
152

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
154

Miss Elinora Browning grew up yearning for the handsome, intelligent lord next door...but he left England without a word of farewell. One night, inspired by a bit too much sherry, Nora poured out her heartbreak on paper.
Lord Dashwood Missed Out was a love letter to every young lady who'd been overlooked by gentlemen - and an instant best seller. Now she's on her way to speak in Spindle Cove when snowy weather delays her coach.

3 out of 5 stars

A very very short book

By
Cam
on
01-27-16

Surrender of a Siren

Wanton Dairymaid, Book 2

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Gabrielle Baker

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
55

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
52

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
51

Desperate to escape a loveless marriage and society's constraints, pampered heiress Sophia Hathaway jilts her groom, packs up her paints and sketchbook, and assumes a new identity, posing as a governess to secure passage on the Aphrodite. She wants a life of her own: unsheltered, unconventional, uninhibited. But it's one thing to sketch her most wanton fantasies and quite another to face the dangerously handsome libertine who would steal both her virtue and her gold.

3 out of 5 stars

I’m disappointed!

By
Amazon Customer
on
03-24-19

A Lady of Persuasion

Wanton Dairymaid Series, Book 3

By:
Tessa Dare

Narrated by:
Gabrielle Baker

Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
44

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Story

4 out of 5 stars
40

Only one thing could convince Sir Tobias Aldridge, an incorrigible libertine, to profess undying fidelity to a woman he's just met. Revenge. What better way to get back at an enemy than by stealing the scoundrel's sister? Not that Toby finds it a chore, seducing a beguiling, sultry beauty freshly arrived from the West Indies. When the prize is Isabel Grayson, vengeance is doubly rewarding.

1 out of 5 stars

Wanton Dairymaid sex is the story ugh

By
Amazon Customer
on
11-18-19

The Bride Bet

Girl Meets Duke

By:
Tessa Dare

Length: 12 hrs

Unabridged

Overall

0 out of 5 stars
0

Performance

0 out of 5 stars
0

Story

0 out of 5 stars
0

The Bride Bet has descriptive copy, which is not yet available from the publisher.

A Beastly Kind of Earl

By:
Mia Vincy

Narrated by:
Kate Reading

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
305

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
274

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
274

Thea Knight loves a spot of mischief. She especially loves her current mischief: masquerading as her sister, while finalizing her scheme to expose the dastardly knaves whose lies ruined her life. Then big, bad-tempered Lord Luxborough upends her game by maneuvering her into marriage. But it's her sister’s name on the license, so the marriage won’t be valid. Thea’s idea? Keep pretending to be her sister until she can run away.

5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

By
fabianie
on
01-03-20

Publisher's Summary

He’s been a bad, bad rake - and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson

The accidental governess

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried - and failed - to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart....without risking her own.

The infamous rake

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education - in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling....and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Pure, Sheer, Absolute Delight

This is the loveliest romp I've read in some time. Everything about this wonderful novel is exciting and funny and sweet and intelligent and a ripping good story.

Tessa Dare has exceeded all expectations with the delightful, intelligent characters of Chase, Alexandra, Rosamond and Daisy (as well as Chase's brother and Alex's friends and the exceedingly unhealthy Millicent.) The plot draws brilliantly on each of their special personalities to weave an only slightly fanciful plot that nevertheless captivated and enthralled me form the moment I started reading. I won't give any spoilers, but there is also just enough suspense that I never once felt like I was sure what would happen next (except, of course, the HEA... but that's just a given.)

And it was all done with a most generous sprinkling of laugh-out-loud funny moments (as well as a fair amount of gasp-worthy surprises)

Mary Jane Wells renders every single character with exactly the right note of respect for their individual personalities and exactly the right tone to give them each distinct voices. She did a simply brilliant job. I have rarely heard a more perfect narration.

Buy this. Listen to it. Let yourself laugh and gasp and sigh at all the right moments. Then do what I'll do in a couple of weeks... listen to it again.

You can't stop smiling!

I'm not giving you absolutely any spoilers. Mainly because you just have to read/hear it for yourselves. The story is sweet, sad and as always FUNNY. Don't forget full of heart. Not only is the writing brilliant the performance doesn't miss a beat. I can't wait for the next one....But I suppose I must.

Witty Little Romance Novel Perfection

When Tessa Dare announces a new novel, I preorder it. Every time. The day of the book’s release, I drop everything I’m doing (including everything else I’m reading) to gorge myself on her regency romance goodness. In fact, when it comes to Ms. Dare’s novels, I automatically buy the print and audio version of each new release. It’s always money well spent. Her stories are among those I listen to and carry around in my purse to read when I need a shot of hope, humor, and strength.

And if I’m particularly needing a dose of calm, I pop on my headphones and let Mary Jane Wells read me into a blissful state of tranquility. She’s the perfect narrator to voice Tessa Dare’s plucky, sweet, intelligent characters. I want to drizzle her voice over ice cream and shamelessly eat it after avoiding carbs for a month. It feels that decadent.

Both novels in the Girl Meets Duke series are my favorites. I love them so. Please don’t make me choose one over the other. Instead, you should definitely read them both and decide for yourself. Be warned, though. If you have a weakness for men whose external gruffness is proportionate to the hugeness of their big, stupid hearts, proceed with caution. You are in danger of becoming addicted to Tessa Dare’s heroes. What about her heroines? Well, they’re amazing. They remind me of all the best parts of all my closest female friends. Courageous, smart, vulnerable, caring, resourceful, and tough. And the secondary characters? They’re things of genius. In The Duchess Deal, Kahn the sarcastic butler, Emma’s group of misfit friends, and Britches the devil cat will all steal your heart. In The Governess Game, Chase’s orphaned charges (and wannabe pirates), Rosalind and Daisy, nearly steal the entire show. I wanted to adopt them both, especially Daisy, who concocts ghastly deaths each morning for her precious baby doll, Millicent, just so Chase will have to hold her hand at the daily funerals as he eulogizes her.

Really. If you haven’t read these two stories yet, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. Go! Read them already. You won’t be sorry.

Charming but not necessarily for everyone.

I do like Tessa Dare's writing (she writes period pieces with modern ideologies so they're not very realistic but they are certainly more emotionally healthy than most romances) but this was the first one that I debated returning. It wasn't the the author's fault; the story had good chemistry and hysterical exchanges. I just don't particularly enjoy the favorite staple of the romance genre where children are always necessary to make relationships better (no insult intended if you do - get married, have babies is very much the time-tested happy ending of romances). This book just happened to take that a step further and make children a LARGE part of the story (which made the romance aspect seem rushed and a bit disjointed to me). So! If you're looking for a good romance about becoming a partner to a man who already has children, I think this would be a favorite listen. If having children around for about 70% of the story isn't what you're looking for, I would maybe reconsider. Mary Jane Wells is a superb narrator though.

EXCELLANT NARRATION BY MARY JANE WELLS

The Narrator Mary Jane Wells was superb and she brought each character alive and made the story fun romantic and lively.I couldn't put my kindle down. Excellent story. I had laugh out loud moments with chase's two Wards Rosamund and Daisy. They were excellent secondary characters that gave the story that added depth that Historical Romance needs. You will also, understand there deep felt sadness and pain.

Chase and Alexandra were a wonderful couple. The story is realistic there instant attraction is believable. They have wonderful banter and you will love both characters. The story is sensuous and sexy but not erotic. A really good mix of love play.

If I had anything complaints it would be the end. I wanted more and I didn't want Chase, Alexandra, Rosamund and Daisy's story to end.

Did not disappoint!

After The Duchess Deal, I have been anxiously awaiting this book. The narrator made me laugh over and over at her portrayals of the characters. This book will be listened to over and over. Thank you audible for another well done nook.

I love a strong woman!

Alexandra Mountbatten is one of those strong, plucky heroines that you cannot help but fall in love with. Just ask Chase. The soon-to-be Duke hires her on the spot (by accident) to be the governess for his two girl-child wards. Soon the whole staff, the willful children, and Chase are all under Alex’s spell! I loved this book so much; it was everything I love in a book! Smart, funny, and sexy!

Wonderful Sequel in a great series

Book 1 of this series, The Duchess Deal, was a perfect spin on the Beauty and The Beast theme with terrific, funny banter, wit, romance, steam and great characters well developed and artfully drawn by Ms Dare. This 2nd book brings all of those people back together and continues in the same well written manner with perfect narration. Loved it!